The Beginning of the End
by vievere
Summary: What began as a cover up is slowly turning into a deadly game of fate. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion are having trouble hiding that there is more going on between them than just an old rivalry. On hold.
1. Prelude

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The Beginning of the End: Prelude  
Published: February 2011

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**Silver Millennium, Palace Hallway, The Moon  
_Flashback_: Three Years Prior**

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"_You are the rudest, most inconsiderate prince I have ever met!" Serenity declared, her usually soft-spoken voice rising. The young princess's eyes were cast accusingly at the ebony-haired man in front of her. Despite her annoyed appearance, the Prince of Earth did not look even slightly perturbed. In fact, he was smirking, looking highly amused by her antics._

_"Inside voice, Serenity…" Lita murmured quietly, tugging on her princess's arm in an attempt to pull her away from the scene. The Sailor Scouts looked highly uncomfortable, fearing the temper or their usually charming Princess, and wished for nothing more than to stop the battle of wits that was surely brewing. Ami was fidgeting, casting her eyes down the hall to make sure the Queen did not walk in on yet another dawning fight between the two royals. But Serenity refused to be dragged away from him, standing her ground firmly._

_"And you, Princess, are the loudest, most idiotic girl in this entire galaxy." The Prince stated calmly, his eyes sparkling. The Scouts glared at him, taking personal offense to his insult, and once again attempted to tug Serenity away from the scene. But the teenager seemed oblivious to her friends' presence._

_"I cannot stand you!" She fumed, eyes alit and linked with his as she yanked her arm from Lita's grip and stepped closer to the man._

_Surprisingly, the Prince took a step forward, head ducking closer to hers as he murmured assuredly, "You love me."_

_Serenity blanched, the female soldiers behind her looking terrified._

_What in the world was he doing? Serenity wondered, her violet eyes widening at him. He simply grinned at her. The Scouts seriously feared for his safety, wondering where in the world his generals were. Because surely, they would be needed soon to pry Serenity's fingers from Endymion's neck. They sure were not going to save him, he deserved it, but that didn't mean they wanted to explain to Queen Serenity why her daughter had brutally murdered the visiting Prince._

_Endymion was, indisputably, digging his own grave. And as far as the girls could tell, Serenity was too furious to reply to his mocking._

_He was playing a very dangerous game._

_"Speechless, Princess? No denials, no insults?" He taunted, quirking one dark eyebrow at the petite blonde shooting him frantic looks, "Perhaps you do. I am quite dashing."_

_Serenity still said nothing._

_He stepped forward again, closer to her, and tilted his head as if inspecting the girl. "Do you think I am handsome, little Princess? Do you think I am charming?" He paused, one hand coming up to caress the length of the beauty's cheek, "Are your insults and tantrums just covering up the fact that you are madly in love with –"_

_He never got to finish his taunt, because he found her suddenly yanking back from him, the sound of cold metal gliding effortlessly out of its sheath filling his ears. In a half a second, the end of his own sword was pressed into his chest, and the young Princess holding the sword aloft looked positively dangerous._

_The Scouts gasped, too stunned to think of pulling their Princess away. Serenity, who had never before even picked up a sword, was holding it resolutely to Prince Endymion's unarmored chest. Serenity, who looked like she fully intended on using the man's own sword to murder him. Serenity, their innocent, kind Princess._

_She looked absolutely murderous._

_"Don't you dare say another word, Endymion. Not one more. You call me idiotic, but it is you who is the fool." She hissed, her eyes locked on his, her violet depths unreadable. "Now listen, and listen well. I have never, in my entire existence, come across another being that has made me as furious as you have made me."_

_She let out a breath, his sword still held tightly in her fist, as she said the loftiest lie she had ever told in the cruelest tone she would ever use, " I despise you, I detest you, I hate you. Passionately. And I will never love you."_

_She lowered the sword slightly, repeating in a quiet assertion, "Never."_

_And if Endymion had not known better, he would have believed her._

_But he didn't believe her. He knew her words, no matter how coldly sworn, were unquestionably false. He could see it in the way that her eyes, which seemed to be glaring, were really brimming over with tears. He could tell she was lying in the way that her hands shook and the way her breathing was uneven. He knew she was lying in the depths of his soul, in the bottom of his heart, and deep in his bones. Because she loved him, just as he loved her, and she had told him so every night when they met in the shadows of the palace gardens._

_That did not change the fact that her words shook him, murdered him, and cut out his heart. He knew she didn't mean them, knew she loved him with every fiber of her being. Knew they were soul mates. He knew this was all an act and that it was his fault for almost blowing their cover. Knew she was just trying to fix what he had done with his teasing, which had been too close to home. It was entirely his fault that she was breaking both their hearts, because he had teased her about the wrong thing. He had hinted at something, something her guardians were not supposed to know, something they had sworn to keep secret. And she had to respond, had to completely convince all that were watching that she did not love him. But she was acting out his worst nightmare. If she ever said those words in earnest, he would surely die._

_And then his sword clattered to the ground as she dropped it, the sound of it the only other noise in the hallway. The Sailor Scouts had watched the scene with wide eyes and open mouths, their shock at their Princess's passionate declaration of hate surprising them. They had never imagined that their sweet little girl could say or feel such things, because she seemed to radiate love and compassion. But they did not doubt her words, because Serenity never lied about how she felt. Serenity never betrayed her heart. And they were flabbergasted at how she so obviously despised him, wondering at what he could have possibly have done to make her feel that way. And they hated him, hated him because their Princess did. They hated him because to lose the love of Serenity was unforgivable. Because Serenity loved all, loved everything. And so he must be evil and they must hate him, since Serenity said she did._

_They had no idea._

_Serenity spun to face them, her face blank and unreadable, "We're leaving. Come, girls, let us leave the Terran." If they had only known how she had just broken her own heart. She looked back over her shoulder at the frozen prince, her eyes for a moment begging for forgiveness and begging him to believe she didn't mean a single word she had just said. The look cleared as quickly as it came into view, but Endymion caught it. She then turned back to her guardians and declared coldly, "I cannot stand the sight of him."_

_And then they were gone._

_That night Serenity had snuck into his bedchambers, fidgeting with the sleeve of her nightgown as she stood in his doorway, afraid to approach him. He sat near the door, he had been putting on his boots to go see her. Her eyes were overflowing with tears, her face crumbled in self-loathing and fear that he would hate her for what she had said. She was too ashamed to get closer, too afraid he would push her away in disgust._

_He jumped up when he noticed Serenity, hurrying to her in unlaced boots and stopping an arm's length away from her. She looked lovely, draped in light blue satin with her blonde hair loose – he had never before seen it loose – and his heart hammered in his chest at the sight of his angel. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by her preceding wail._

_"I am so sorry, Endymion! I am so, so, so unbelievably sorry!" she choked out in between sobs, staggering back against his door and seeming to shake uncontrollably, "I was so awful! I am sorry, so truly sorry!"_

_Still he did not move to comfort her. Could not, for he felt too much doubt. Was she here to end what she had with him, to tell him she truly could not love him? Her impassioned speech that morning had shaken him, had planted a seed of doubt that he had never before felt. Could it be? The thought made his blood run cold._

_"I did not mean it! Not any of it, I swear to all the Gods, on my life. I do not hate you, not even a little bit, I could never hate you!" She slid down the door as she lost the ability to stand, crying through the words. She was not fit to talk, but she had to let him know. Or she would die, die if she did not say them._

_"I love you! I love you more than life itself, I will always love you!"_

_He came to life. And then he was holding her, wiping away her tears and trying to hold her together. His heart soared at her words, at the reaffirmation of her affections. His lips left lingering kisses across the planes of her face as she sobbed, as he tried to soothe her._

_"Serenity, Serenity. Shhhh. Quiet, my love." He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, cradling her face, "I love you, shhhhh, I know you did not mean it."_

_Her lilac eyes, still leaking ocean water, stared startled at him. He did? He knew._

_"I am so sorry!" she sobbed out again, still shaking all over. He breathed out, heart wrenching at his princess's distressed state. His hurt, at the words he knew she didn't mean, melted away and dissolved into oblivion. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and then quickly picked her up off the ground. He carefully walked her over to his bed and set her down, still holding her as he attempted to quiet her cries._

_"Shush, Sere, I know. You did not mean it, it was all theatrics. I know."_

_"But, but I was so cruel!" She stuttered, clinging to him with childlike dependency._

_He smoothed her silver hair from her face, smiling ruefully at her, "You were trying to convince your friends. It is my fault."_

_She was shocked out of her tears, which ceased to fall. "What! How in Selene's name is this at all your fault?"_

_"I was an outright foolish. I should not have teased you like that, I should not have risked teasing you about it. It was dim-witted. I almost ruined everything." He played contentedly with tendrils of her hair, his fingers lacing in her pale tresses as he smiled at her beauty and her silly insistences._

_"No! It is not your fault!"_

_"Of course it was, Princess, I was stupid. I understand why you had to say those things, why it was necessary. You had to be absolutely sure they did not suspect anything. If you had responded in any other way they would have felt some suspicion." He kissed her head, wanting to silence her and let her know it no longer matter, " It was the only way to make them think you…did not care for me."_

_"I am sorry." She mumbled gently, the shame still twisting her heart._

_His lips pressed a kiss to her nose, "Everything is fine, Princess, there is nothing to be sorry for. You did not mean it."_

_"I love you." She whispered, her nose nuzzling his neck._

_"And I love you, Serenity. Forever, until the end of time itself, I will never stop loving you. No matter what." He breathed out, caught up in her dazzling essence._

_Their lips caught, warm kisses trying desperately to heal the wounds they had inflicted on each other. He could taste her guilt, her sorrow at the bitter words she had said but not meant, but soon he felt her remorse fall away. And then they were just kissing, not just healing. And as their bodies meshed, their heartbeats racing in beat with each other, they knew no words could ever unfasten the love they had. Because together, they were complete._

_Tomorrow they would have to do it all again, would have to put on yet another spectacle. They could never ignore each other, would never be able to ignore the other's existence. That was too hard. And so they would fight, for all to see, until her friends thought him heartless and his generals found her infuriating. They would hide compliments in insults, would hide caresses in shoves, and hide love in glares. Enemies by the light of day; criminal kisses, endless declarations of love in the night._

_Because they were forbidden. And if they were ever found out, there would be tragedy. _

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**Silver Millennium, Palace Gardens, The Moon  
Present Day: Three Years After Flashback_  
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It was lovely out, the air was thick with the delicate fragrance of flora and new growth. The stars seem to shine brighter in the sky above and the vibrant orb of blue and green hanging in the horizon seemed closer, touchable. Days like such, one was sure to find the Princess of the Moon and her companions out in the gardens.

Serenity lay in the grass, her eyes cast on the planet above with a faint smile etched onto her lips. Her fingers lazily twirled around a blade of grass as she softly hummed the melody to her own private lullaby, the sound of the carillon locked away in a golden locket she had treasured but no longer possessed. Her thoughts were far away, her ears drowning out the gentle purr of conversation every now and then between her friends.

Ami sat at the base of a nearby tree, locks of aqua hair dancing in the wind as her fingers traced the symbols inked into her book. Mina sat at the other end of the tree, peaking at the men practicing archery in the distance with a silly grin on her painted lips. Lita was busy carefully plucking flowers from a nearby rosebush, eliciting a sharp hiss every once in awhile as a thorn pricked her skin.

Raye, however, was the least at harmony in their surroundings. She paced nearby, a black cat poised on her shoulders, and she whispered back and forth with the feline. Growing weary of Raye's pacing, Luna soon sprung from her shoulders, landing gracefully on all four legs as she trotted back over to the other girls. With a look in between a grimace and a grin, Raye followed.

Serenity, drawn from her own reverie by the sound of Raye sitting down beside her, peaked over at the girl with a slight smile. Raye smirked in response, but the look quickly disappeared as the girl forced her lips into a compliant look of unconcern. The Princess quirked one pale eyebrow upward at the look, her companion shrugged it off.

"The Terrans are coming tomorrow." Raye noted listlessly, seemingly uninterested by that fact. However, her eyes sparkled with mischief – she knew her statement would get an immediate response. Lita promptly walked back over to the other girls, bouquet in hand, and glared at the Scout of Mars; while Mina looked pointedly at Serenity to judge her reaction. Ami sighed, grudgingly drawing her eyes from the thick volume held open in her lap. Luna simply blinked, she had already known that was coming.

"Raye, I did not think we were supposed to tell the Princess." Ami pointed out, pursing her lips as she looked at Luna, rather than Raye, for agreement or denial. Mina nodded wildly at this in concurrence.

"We have all agreed that we might as well tell her now, rather than risk the embarrassment of her causing a scene upon their arrival in the morning." Luna explained impassively.

The girls stared expectantly at their Princess.

Serenity's peaceful state of quiet was ruined as she shot up into sitting position, eyes wide and surprised at this new bit of information. Her mind rushed to find an explanation or some sort of coherence. The Terrans were coming? The Prince? His generals? Perhaps the King as well? And only tomorrow! They could not be coming tomorrow, preparations had to be made, it was too last minute. Surely they were not coming on such short notice…Of course not! How long had her friends, her mother, the whole court been keeping this from her?

"Since when!" she cried indignantly, looking at them all for an answer before she quickly demanded of Raye, "And _why were you not supposed to tell me_!"

"Since awhile." Raye shrugged, her lips twitching into a grin.

Lita, who had fully supported the decision to keep Serenity in the dark about the Terran's arrival, was still glaring at the Raye for revealing it to Serenity. She then handed the bouquet of white roses, free of thorns, to her Princess and added on to Raye's weak reply quickly, "Your mother told us that we were not allowed to inform you. She feared you would throw a fit and wished to avoid any unpleasant tantrums before they arrived."

Of course, of course they had kept it from her. Serenity's mouth was agape. Although it irked her that her mother and her guardians had kept it from her, the real thing that bothered her was that Endymion had not come to tell her. She cursed him inwardly, angling towards Luna for further information. Her brows pulled together, her countenance letting her friends know the petite princess was clearly not amused by their conspiracy.

Luna cut in while Serenity aimed her violet glare at her, "Serenity, before you start in on us or throw some impertinent fit about the whole thing, just listen. We know last time the Terrans came you and their prince did not get along well –"

Mina snorted, Ami giggled.

Since when did Luna make such palpable understatements? Last time the Prince of Earth had been at the court of the Silver Alliance, he and the Moon Princess had engaged in hostile verbal warfare. Daily. They had been prone to shouting matches in the dining hall, ridiculous quarrels in the hallways, and a few shenanigans taken much too far. To the court of the Moon, their arch-rivalry had been a thing universally known. It was no wonder they had tried to hide it from their usually tame Princess for so long.

If they only knew.

"But that was several years ago. You have matured since then, and I am sure he has matured as well –" Luna stated carefully, sighing tiredly under her charge's glower.

Serenity snorted. Endymion? Mature? That was ridiculous, he was just as immature as he had been when she was fourteen. Last time she had seen him, he had come up from behind her and pushed her into a fish pond, then promptly declared that he did it because he thought she looked like she wanted to go for a swim. Oh yes, he was so mature.

"And certainly you can behave around him for a week." Luna continued tersely, "The diplomatic proceedings are very important to the Moon Kingdom, as well the people of Earth. It is said that the Earth wishes to join the Alliance. Prince Endymion himself suggested peace agreements and suggested the conference. He is a good man, Princess Serenity, no matter what bitterness you two have against each other. Though he, admittedly, has not been especially kind to you. He is a fine ruler and his intentions concerning these contracts, are good."

Serenity smiled quietly. Though none would have guessed it, her heart bloomed with pride and excitement. Endymion had requested to join the Alliance, Earth might soon be an ally rather than a potential adversary. That meant so much, suggesting a feeling of hope building up in her chest. And she would soon see him, would be able to lay eyes on him for the first time in a month.

Ami was the one to extinguish the small flicker of hope in her chest as she noted musingly, "Although, obviously, we would never allow the Earth to join the Silver Alliance."

Serenity turned to her, startled, "Wait, WHAT?" She shook her head, her heart beating frantically in her chest. Why wouldn't they allow Earth into the Alliance? It made no sense in her mind and despite what she knew of the political climate on Earth, it failed to compute in her brain that there was any reason for them to deny their appeals. "Why not? Why is Earth not allowed to join the Alliance? Was that not the point all along, was that not what we have wanted since the beginning of the planetary coalition? Was that not why they came, three years ago, in the first place?"

"Well, yes, but times have changed. War plagues the Earth. Its people have no love for the Moon Kingdom and they threaten rebellion if their Prince signs any new peace agreements." Luna clarified.

Serenity had not known that, Endymion had not explicitly told her that the tides of rebellion were calling forth. He had only said there was much fighting going on, that it would be over soon. He always had calming assurances, always made her forget the rumors she had heard from other planet's dignitaries. Her heart dropped. Any lingering of optimism was quenched. They were not planning on letting Endymion join the Alliance? But…he wanted to! Her tears welled up, sadness sweeping over her porcelain features, "But! They want to make agreements! We should let them!"

Her friends smiled fondly at her, thinking to themselves how compassionate their Princess was. The idea that she was so upset about Earth's disappointment when she herself despised their crown prince made their hearts warm. And although Serenity did want Earth to have peace and to have good planetary relations, her motives were a bit more selfish then they could have expected.

Because the reason she was vying for Earth so much was due to the fact that she wanted to be allowed to love its future king. If an agreement was to be made, there would be no reason to reject a union between the Prince and Princess of both planets. She and Endymion would be able to end their preposterous charade, would finally be able to tell their friends and family the reason they were so overly callous to each other in public, the reason they rejected any and all suitors, and the reason why they sometimes could not be found late at night. That awful word, which clung so readily to them, would finally disappear. Forbidden.

"And they are well aware that they have little chance of actually achieving a unification. Serves 'em right, too, for being such pompous asses to us last time they came to court." Lita interjected hastily, grinning widely as she cracked her knuckles. Luna shook her head in exasperation. Serenity smiled weakly at her attempt to lighten the mood, but her cheerfulness had already evaporated from her system. She looked down at the fresh bouquet Lita had picked for her, which was sitting in her lap, without actually seeing it.

"The people of Earth would never rightly accept the idea that they were allied with us 'blasphemous Lunarians', anyhow." Mina chirped, undisturbed by the idea.

Raye nodded, "The people there have been touched by great evil and are being turned against the other planets. We fear they may lash out against us. The Earth needs to resolve its own evil before we can allow any true alliance."

"Is there any other way?" Serenity questioned softly.

"I suppose if the Earth temporarily surrendered their rule over to Queen Serenity, giving her complete control over their realm until she could repel the evil lingering there, then yes." Luna huffed at the absurdity of such an action, "But we all know they would never trust us enough for that. They still cling to the absurd idea that we wish to take over their useless planet."

Serenity was desperately seeking a magical solution, something that could get the Earth on peaceful terms with the rest of the Silver Millennium. Her eyes lit up as her mind stuck the finest solution available, one that could solve all their problems. A grin threatened to overcome her lips, but she fought it – for her cover. She considered how she could word her suggestion and set her features as to not give away her excitement over the idea, "What if…what if I married Prince Endymion? Wouldn't that join our kingdoms? Could that solve it? If I did, our kingdoms would be merged and it would allow them to join the Alliance without any qualms. It could unite our people and we could bring peace to their planet using the Silver Crystal."

They were shocked by her proposal, aghast at what their Princess just suggested. They all began at once.

Lita: "But he is a conceited ass!"

Mina: "You should only marry for love! "

Raye: "You would kill each other on your wedding night."

And then Ami: "I do not think it should be at the expense of your happiness."

Luna was shocked into silence for a long time before she shook her head of the surprise. She smiled at the girl with pride, kindly continuing, "Princess Serenity, while I am impressed by your willingness to sacrifice for the good of the people – you will be a very great queen one day – we could never ask that of you. Your mother, especially, would never allow you to give up your happiness for such a thing. She has never wanted you an arranged marriage, not even once considered it. None of us want you to make so big of a sacrifice."

Serenity blushed a light pink, biting down hard on her lip. In truth, it was no sacrifice for her. None at all. She desperately wanted to tell them the truth, to tell them she had been secretly in love with the Prince of Earth since she was fourteen. For over three years she had kept it a secret and not once had they suspected her. But they would never believe her if she told and how could she tell them the truth about her and Endymion after she had betrayed them for so long? She did not have the courage to tell them, did not know how to form the words.

"But I would do it. In a heartbeat. I love my home and I love the Earth. I want their people to have peace and I want Earth to be a part of the Silver Alliance." It was the mildest admittance she could make.

"May I remind you that you despise Endymion and that he has never once said one kind word to you?" Now that was a lie, Endymion said nothing but sweet words to her – not in public, of course. And he didn't despise her, nor she him. Quite the opposite, actually. Serenity kept her mouth shut.

"A marriage between the two of you would do more harm than good. The tension would only worsen relations between our two kingdoms." Luna supplied.

"You two would end up killing each other." Raye cheerily stated.

Mina giggled, the laughable idea so far out of the realm that she could not even begin to imagine them together without sniggering, "The day you two married the world would surely end!"

Well now, that was an exaggeration.

What they did not know is that their princess had been in love with Earth's prince since the moment she had met him. And by a chain of odd events, everyone believed her to hate him. Because in their first public meeting – long after they had both accepted they were soul mates – Serenity had happened to be slightly aggravated at him for not meeting her the night before like he was supposed to. And so to everyone else it seemed as if the two had immediately taken a dislike to each other, when in reality they had only witnessed a lover's feud. And since then, all their public meetings had been accompanied by staged outbursts that were more of love then hate. They loved teasing each other, loved how they fooled everyone else into believing they were enemies.

But then it had gotten complicated. The Terrans were to return home. And perhaps they would never see each other again. But that would not do. They loved each other, infinitely. They could not be apart. And so a month after their initial meeting, they had vowed their love to each other. Since then they had snuck off to meet each other frequently, when they could slip past the notice of their guardians. In the three years since the dignitaries of Earth's last visit to the Moon, the Prince and Princess had met countless times under the mask of night. They could never stay long, never past sunrise, and sometimes they could not get away from their planets for long periods of time. As it stood, Serenity had not seen Endymion in over a month. And she missed him terribly.

Luna suddenly stood as she caught sight of a white-haired man approaching from the castle. The cat's form flickered momentarily with a flash of light as a tall, black-haired woman with a crescent moon on her temple stood in her place. She smoothed the creases from her yellow gown before turning towards Serenity and adding resolutely before heading off towards her husband, "Princess, do not worry yourself over all this. Please, for the love of Selene, just try to avoid him while they are here as our guests. Now I must be going, Artemis and I have much to do before the arrival."

The girls watched her disappear with Artemis, silent for a long time before they turned back to one another.

"It would not be so bad to marry the prince." Mina mused. Serenity felt like hugging her.

"No, it most certainly _would_ be bad for her to marry the Prince. They are the most incompatible people in the universe!" Lita countered. Serenity huffed, though they took no notice.

"I doubt he would agree to marry her anyway, he hates her as much as she hates him." Rei grinned.

That one actually hurt.

"They would look cute together, though! Their babies would be adorable!"

Serenity knew there was a reason why she loved Mina so much!

Ami, surprisingly, began to laugh in a very un-Ami-like way, when Raye whispered cheekily, "But I doubt they would ever consummate their marriage, if they did somehow get forced into marrying each other."

Serenity smirked. She and Endymion had never had a problem with_ that_.

"The idea of him shirtless is quite appealing." Lita admitted, stunning them all, as she shrugged. Lita, in her protectiveness of Serenity, disliked Endymion more so than any of the other Scouts and was always quick to insult the disgusting, smug, egotistical, bad-mannered Terran.

"He had such nice, toned arms." Raye cooed.

Um, hey! That was _her_ Endymion they were talking about! Who did, admittedly, have quite nice arms and a very appealing shirtless chest. Serenity blushed.

"I bet he's good at…you know!"

Serenity was red, how could Mina say such a thing! It was scandalous…it was true.

"Bet he has a whole harem of concubines, waiting _hand and foot _on him."

The Princess and Ami were scandalized with the turn in their conversation. Serenity's mouth fell open. He did not have a harem of concubines! …Did he?

"Your right, he does seem like he would be a bit promiscuous. Who knows what wanton things those Earthlings do…" Mina, Lita, and Raye were giggling madly, somehow extremely amused by the idea.

Serenity, however, was not at all amused. In fact, she was seeing red. The ideas they planted in her head, of Endymion with any other women, made her seethe. The idea of him flirting with someone else, let alone _being_ with someone else made her want to scream or cry or just outright die. In fury, she jumped up from her seat in the grass, her clenched fists shaking, "SHUT UP! ENDYMION DOES NOT SLEEP AROUND."

They stared at her.

They were baffled at her outburst. Perplexed. Disbelieving.

"Sheesh, Serenity, calm down. You know we were kidding!" Lita admonished, slinging her arm around the petite girl's shoulder and winking at her, "We knew you hated him, but surely the thought of him with a girl is not that bad!"

"Maybe she is jealous!" Mina squealed in delight.

Serenity's anger left her, replaced by cold fear. They could not know! She had to cover it up. She was reckless; she had let her emotions almost blow her cover. She hastily pushed the burning thought of Endymion cheating on her from her mind and quickly forged a decent recovery. "I just do not want to hear about that awful prince! He is a ghastly, arrogant fool. The thought of him ruins my day, this whole conversation is ruining my day. And he is coming tomorrow, so it is going to be another bad day then, so can we just, please, please, please stop talking about him? I want to pretend he does not exist."

She thought she was awfully convincing and their nodding reaffirmed her belief. The Princess grinned, pleased with her smooth restoration.

Serenity hooked her arm with Lita's and picked up her collection of roses from where it had fallen from her lap. Laughing easily, she added for effect, "And you guys are right, a marriage between us would be awful. I suggested it when I was thinking only of our people, not of the monster who would torment me. Let's let him have his harem, I do not want him."

Serenity was a very good liar.

The Scouts had no idea what their Princess had done three years ago, the night before the Terran royals left the Moon kingdom to return to Earth. They could never have imagined that she had done the unimaginable, behind their backs, and had kept her deepest secret from them for years. They did not know that she had committed treason. And if they ever found out it would break their hearts.

Because three years ago, the Princess of the Moon and the Prince of the Earth had secretly done the unthinkable. They had gotten married.

. . .


	2. Chapter One

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The Beginning of the End: Chapter One  
Published: February 2011

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**Terran Kingdom, The Earth  
_Flashback:_ Approximately One Year Prior**

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_His fingers traced the planes of her body, mapping it and committing her every curve to memory. He was memorized by her form, the lines and curves that made her tangible. Her hair was all around them, impossibly long and shining almost a reflective, pure white in the moonlight. He loves how her lips are puckered in her sleep and the soft feeling of her breath on his skin as her chest rises and falls with each tiny breath she takes. She looks so incredibly dreamlike, like some angel of Elysian bathing in the light of the moon. He cannot stop staring at her, even though he is exhausted and can hardly stay awake. In his hazy, dreamlike state he comes up with sonnets and poetry to describe her, which he whispers quietly into the wind as he traces her skin with his fingertips. He cannot stop touching her, he will not. Their time is too precious and already coming to an end with the very faintest glows of sunlight threatening to dawn on the horizon._

_He hates sunrises, just as much as he loves sunsets. The night is their friend, their home and palace and kingdom. Even when they are apart, the night brings dreams of each other. The nighttime for them is full of promises, of chances to be together._

_She releases a purr of a breathe and shifts in the grass, the pout on her lips fading to a soft smile as her mind tumbles out of sleep's placid lullabies. Her eyes, the oddest shade of lavender and azure, flutter open to land on him. He can only smile, though he knows their time is dwindling fast. These moments, their time together, are only ever sand in an hourglass. His fingers stop in their decent over her form, his lips going to press sweet kisses on the smooth skin of her stomach. She sighs softly, her tiny hands fluttering up to run through the darkness of his ruffled hair._

_"Endymion." She breathes out in a wisp of shallow breathe as he ascends up from her belly to her neck, leaving a trail of cool kisses. Her eyes close as he finds the spot on her neck, the one only he knows about, that is especially sensitive. His mouth lingers there as he whispers his poetry to her, the lines of verse that are only ever going to be heard by her._

_"Serenity." He repeats her name with every kiss to her neck, her face, her lips. He breathes it in a whisper, so no one can hear it but him, and he envelops her into his arms as the sky softens to hues of gold and blue. He closes his eyes and pretends he does not see the stars fading and the sun rising in the lavender of her eyes. His murmurs of her name fall into frantic denials, a steady stream of weak 'No's._

_"It is a new day, Endymion. The morning." She states in a whisper. She is never quite as sad as he is at dawn, she is always too appreciative of what little she has been given to mourn the rise of the sun. Her happiness is tinged with mourning, though, the reality of leaving him once again making her heart fall to pieces. She knows it is her cue to leave, to escape before her presence or his is missed. Already they are too close, there is already too much light on their nocturnal skin. She sighs heavily and sits up, stretching her arms over her head to relax her tired muscles. She leans her head into his, capturing his lips in a kiss as her hair falls around them like a silver curtain. He groans into the kiss out of pain, not desire when he feels the heat of the sun touching his back._

_When she reaches for her dress, which is caught on a tree branch and fluttering in the morning breeze, he stops her. This time, he decides, he is not letting her go. He pulls her down on top of him and holds her close, breathing in the intoxicating scent that his distinctly her. "Do not go. Stay. Do not leave me again, I cannot bear it." He begs, his midnight eyes filled with a sorrowful longing._

_It breaks her heart and she cradles his head in her hands, kissing his eyelids and murmuring sweetly, "I must. I really must. But tomorrow night, you will come see me tomorrow?"_

_"No." he says defiantly, a fierce glow lighting a fire in his eyes. She knows this game, they have both played it many times before. Through their connection, the tight red string that tied their hearts together, they can clearly experience what the other is feeling. It only amplifies their own melancholy, their own distressed hearts. She tries to get up and he tugs her down again, onto his lap, pressing his cool lips to the nape of her neck as he runs his hands through the soft tresses of her hair. "You cannot go, not this time. I will not let you."_

_"I must-"_

_"No." He is begging again, firmly grasping her hips to keep her from leaving him forever. He dips her back so he can see her eyes. His voice catches in his throat at her tragic beauty, the sadness in her eyes fueling his desire to always be there for her. To protect her, to have her always. "Run away with me. We will go away far away from our kingdoms, to the end of the galaxy. So we can be together, so we do not have to live in secret anymore." He purrs frantically into her ear, nipping her earlobe with his teeth. He has to convince her, he has to convince her so she can convince him. They do not need anyone but each other, he wants her to tell him that. He wants to believe it._

_But despite it all, neither of them is selfish. They love too deeply, care too much about those who have always been there beside them. Will always be there. Her Scouts, his Generals. There is too much guilt in their hearts already for keeping such a thing quiet, for not revealing their true heart to those who have sworn their lives to them. They cannot run away, they both know it, or they would be swallowed in time by grief and guilt. And he knows this, she knows this, but he still begs fervently, "Just us, forever."_

_"Endymion, we cannot. I want to, I want to so badly. But we cannot." And he knows this is true, so he lets her scramble up with tears in her eyes. He can feel her sorrow as acutely as his own now, he can feel her steady pulse in his own veins and her breathe in his own lungs. He covers his eyes as she slides into her dress, not for modesty but because he can't take seeing her cry or preparing to leave. Just as quickly as she has left she has returned, pushing him down in the soft grass and showing him no mercy as her lips demand his own. Frantic, urgent, hurried. He complies, knowing she is trying to make the sadness disappear. Knowing that it wont work._

_"Someday, Serenity, you will be my queen." He says in a raw whisper on her lips and she breaks away, sobbing now as she clutches him tightly. It is not quite a promise, but a hope. He does not panic now, his job is to be there for her. He sends her a wave of assurance, smiling softly at his little princess. And so he whispers promises of the kingdom they will build together, teases her about the castle full of heirs they would produce – all with her hair and her eyes. And then she laughs through the heartbreak, curses the rising sun._

_And then she is gone._

_They want so much for the vows they made to be enough. They want to be able to believe they are each others; he wants to call her his wife and she wants to call him her husband. But they can't, not without the congratulations of those people who love them. They made their vows, their very souls are bound by an unbreakable bound, but they will never truly belong to one another until the people who take up those other corners of their soul know of Serenity and Endymion. Their vows meant nothing, really, with no one to witness them but the boy priest of dreams._

_But they almost feel whole underneath the moonlight, meeting for brief hours before they have to part until their next meeting. They still have hope, they still truly believe that things will fall into place magically. They can still imagine a future where they can kiss under the sun and wear golden bands on their fingers. They still can see it, they just cannot tell how far away it is. They know one day they will both rule and one day they will rule together._

_They do not know how they will get there, but they will._

_Perhaps this was a tragic hope, one they would not ever witness while they are breathing in their bodies. But they want it too much, they have too much faith that one day they will not just have to settle for dreams._

_Fate knows what is in store for them, Fate has a plan. And just as quickly as it will snatch them away from each other, Fate will shove them back into each other's arms. Fate knows one day they will be happy, but Fate knows what they do not. That first, for them to have everything, Fate must take it all away._

_But first, first their worlds would have to disintegrate for their tragic sins. Only then, only then can they atone. They do not realize it, but this is the end of their dreams. Soon, everything will unravel, soon they will pay for the treason they have committed. Hiding away from the world, forgetting their duties, is the very first step down the road to their downfall. It is the beginning of their end, the lungful of air before their last breathe._

_And so they still hope for the things they have been starved of, not knowing what is slowly coming on the horizon like the sun obliterating their moonlit skies._

. . .

_

* * *

_

**.**

**Silver Millennium, Palace of the Moon Kingdom, The Moon  
Present Day: Approximately One Year After Flashback**

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**

Serenity was draped in white silk and lace, her bodice tight fitting and detailed with silver, floral embroidery. Around her hips was a string of pale pink pearls, the gossamer material of the dress's cloth fanning out in layers of fabric that went from pure white at the waist to pale pink at the bottom. Her hair, of course pulled into the royal hairdo, had a garland of moonflowers and pearls woven into her incandescent, light-hued gold tresses. Her face was pretty and pale, her cheeks the faintest hint of a rosy red on the apples of her cheeks, and her lips were a light shade of glimmering pink. Her eyes, caught somewhere between lavender and blue, were framed by long, blonde eyelashes. She radiated beauty, was the epitome of a Princess, made everyone catch their breath.

But the Moon Princess felt less than beautiful. She looked too young, like a twelve year old rather than a woman of seventeen. She did not have Raye's striking raven locks or exotic beauty, she was not curvaceous and tall like Lita, she did not have Ami's cute button nose or sparkling crystal eyes, and she did not radiate feminine beauty like the sun-kissed Mina. Although she bore a striking resemblance to her, she was only a less dazzling, less beautiful copy of her ethereal mother. Her skin was too pallid, she looked like she had gained weight, her hair was a colorless shade. She did not think she was lovely or passable or pretty enough.

In the mirror she stood in front of, she saw herself as a girl with a glimmer of watery droplets glistening in her eyes, threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. She looked scared, not excited like she should be. She looked breakable, childish. And although she hated what she saw, she could not look away. Her emotions threatened to give her away in a sob, which she held back with a bitten lip. When had she gotten so weak, so frail, and so emotional? Why did she feel dread at his arrival, when her heart should feel like it would beat of her chest? Because Endymion, with so many other beautiful ladies at court from so many other planets, surely would find his secret wife exceedingly dull among everyone else's sparkle.

She obviously was not thinking clearly.

"Serenity, I know it is awful that those uncivilized Earthlings are coming, but you have got to stop moping about this." Lita called from the nearby chaise, her shapely form leisurely draped over the multiple pillows strewn across it. The brunette was wearing a flowing light green gown that was not quite formal, her only adornments an emerald pendant necklace dangling from a silver chain and delicate silver earrings in the shape of a budding flower. The Princess of Jupiter yawned, stretching as she added dully, "Though it is a shame we will have to breathe the same air as them when they arrive. They do require an excessive amount of oxygen."

"Lita is quite right, actually, it is rather odd how much oxygen they require. Their planet's atmosphere is a particularly interesting climate to study." Ami mused, smoothing the folds of her dress as she stood. Princess Mercury traced her finger across the beaded bracelet she wore, approaching the door and bowing her head, "I am going to go see if Lady Luna is ready for our entrance, I will be right back shortly Princess."

Serenity sighed as Ami exited, she had only been half-heartedly listening to them. Suddenly she froze, eyes going wide as she felt a sharp tug. She knew what it was and the idea made her panic. Endymion had arrived, she could feel it, knew without a doubt that the Earthen party had just stepped foot on the Moon. His emotions rippled through their bond for a brief moment, a mixture of anticipation and positive apprehension. It made her stomach turn, the unexpected self-doubt raging in her telling her she would disappoint him. She ripped her eyes from her image in the mirror and turned to her companions, asking in quiet panic to no one in particular, "Am I pretty enough?"

Lita blinked, sitting up to look at her Princess with a furrowed brow. Serenity was stunning, an image of perfect beauty that had women resentful and men swooning. Her dress clung to her curves perfectly, her youthful appearance made her radiate good health and delicate innocence. Her face was that of an angel, the flowers in her hair only complimented the unique shine of her long hair. She was more than pretty. Troubled by the question coming from the usually confident women, she opened her mouth to give some words of encouragement. However, the ever straightforward Raye beat her to it.

"You are perfect, now shut up Princess." Raye stated sharply, bumping her hip against Serenity's to look into the full-length mirror. The girl inspected herself, eyeing her own formfitting blood red ensemble with a blank expression before turning back to her friend. She placed her hands on her hips and chastised sternly, "Stop looking for compliments from us. You know you are gorgeous; every man in court is madly in love with you and all the women envy your looks. It's disgusting."

Serenity's brows pulled together into a confused look, she had not necessarily been looking for a compliment. Just reassurance, something to calm her rising terror and conquer her self-loathing. Raye raised an eyebrow at her, daring her friend to contradict her, before sauntering over to sit next to Lita. "But –" Serenity began, quieting as Mina put an arm around her, steering her away from the mirror and towards the adjoining sitting room of her private chambers.

"Serenity, you are stunning. Do not mind Raye, she is bitter that you are more beautiful than she." The blonde whispered in her best friend's ear, her gloved hand clasping the other girl's bare one. She smiled sweetly at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "And that dress is fabulous, I am glad you decided to wear it. What about mine?"

Yellow fabric, low-cut, and a fit so tight that only a Venusian would dare wear it in public. It suited the warrior splendidly. Serenity smiled, her panic residing as she answered as merrily as she could muster in her nervous state, "It is really pretty and very you, Mina."

"Thanks!" Mina broke into giggles, letting go of Serenity and skipping forward into the center of the room to do a spin. She struck a pose at her, winking and cheerily declaring, "I hope that awful Prince Endymion sees you in that and falls madly in love with you! Oh, would that not be splendid? You could break his cold heart and make him pay for all the unkind taunts he threw at you last time!"

Serenity paled considerably at the blonde's cheerful proposal. Hearing his name on her lips when he was so achingly close and not being able to grin like a silly, lovesick maiden ripped her heart out. Mina was her confidante, she and Lita had always been right there beside her when they were younger, dreaming of handsome princes and wedding gowns. Mina had taught her how to flirt with guards, had filled her young mind with tales of romance, and who had always been the one she told about her latest crush's on handsome dignitaries when they first felt the stings of puppy love. At that moment she wanted to tell her, wanted to tell the leader of her guardians and the Scout of Love all about her secret marriage. She almost did, but was saved from making any response at all from the new appearance of Luna and Ami, followed by a bickering Lita and Raye.

Luna, in her poised human form, looked as if she were exhausted, though it only seemed to show from the weary expression on her face, "The _Terrans_ are here."

The way she said it, like it was a curse, upset Serenity greatly. When had that become a dirty word? An insult? Even Luna, who cared little for Earth, had not used such a tone of voice when referring to them before. Something must have happened, already. What could have possibly gone wrong to get Luna visibly ruffled from outsiders?

Luna turned sharply to her Princess, causing the emotional female to shift uncomfortably under her feline gaze. "Serenity, please for the love of Selene, stay away from that Prince. Do not try to be polite, even, just pay no attention to him and act as if he did not exist. We certainly do not need anything else to go wrong from you two's legendary, imminent, ridiculous squabbles."

"Wait, did something go wrong, Luna?" Mina questioned quickly, her smile fleeing and her face going serious.

The black haired woman paced in long, graceful steps, gritting her teeth. She stopped abruptly and looked up at the ceiling, then back down at the younger girls, "Oh yes. The problem is that the Terrans do not teach their children any courtly etiquette or gentlemanly manners, apparently."

Serenity bit her lip. She was not referring to Endymion, surely. Even with his seemingly merciless teasing of her, he had always been polite in formal settings and nothing but a gentleman to others. Maybe not to her, no, but that had been an act anyway. He was noble and kind, though admittedly arrogant, but respectful. Had his generals been the ones to do something? Or one of their diplomats? "What happened?" Serenity urged quietly, worried edge to her tone.

"Their king! Their king! What an insufferable, ungracious man!" Luna declared, the hiss of her voice sounding so very catlike as she spit out in vehemence uncommon of the composed woman, "He is lucky we did not simply ban him from court right when he walked in! We are offering to discuss an imperative prospect for their planet, we are considering being very, very kind neighbors and assisting them in eradicating the rebellions giving rise throughout their entire planet! And what do we get? An ungracious king who comes to our planet, walks into our palace, and disrespects our queen!"

Serenity's heart dropped, what had Endymion's father said to her mother? What had happened to make Luna so very furious? Luna's anger troubled her, she was usually so in control, and it made her want to placate her. Serenity hurried over to the taller women, quickly leaping at her with a hug that was somehow meant to calm her. She wanted to say Luna was being unfair, like she often thought when Luna gave her rules, but she could not think of anything but soothing her protector and mentor. So she hugged her, squeezing her own eyes shut as she tried to maintain her own semblance of calm. Surprisingly, the feeling of the petite princess's arms wrapping around the adult's body did calm her. Luna's troubled gaze softened at the view of the blonde girl clutching her tightly around the waist, having a flashback to the time's when the girl had been just a child, and she pulled her arms around the girl's petite frame. Serenity's presence made her feel loved, her embrace made her remember herself and find her calm.

The woman patted the girl on the head, pressing a gentle kiss to the girl's crescent emblem as she whispered in a motherly urge to reassure the trembling teen like she was a child, "I am sorry Princess, I did not mean to lose my temper. I was quite upset on how he treated your mother, you know how defensive I am of your family."

Serenity looked up at her, smiling in a way that made Luna's heart melt, "I understand Luna, there is nothing to be sorry for." Luna patted her head fondly, being careful not to displace any of the embellishments braided into her silvery gold strands, as the Princess continued in childlike timidity she did not mean to possess, "But what happened, Luna?"

Looking down at the innocent beauty that she had helped raise, Luna felt the urge to protect her from the unpleasant. She brushed Serenity's bangs from her eyes with long fingers, stepping out of the young woman's embrace as she cleared her throat and answered in a toneless claim, "The Terran King was quite brisk with your mother, Princess. He brushed past her and ignored her welcome, going up to Artemis and demanding to be shown the way to his own 'private wing'. He showed only contempt and disrespect for our court. And I cannot forgive him when your mother has shown the Earth such kindness, time and time again, despite their resistance to the aid we continuously offer. "

Serenity nodded slowly, feeling a steady dread give rise. The members of the Silver Alliance's court respected Queen Serenity and were highly offended by even the slightest hint of any unenthusiastic comment about her. This did not bode well for Earth, nor did it bode well for the aspirations of her and Endymion. She swallowed the lump in her throat, ignored the pang in her heart, and stood tall. A sudden strength flooded through her and she no longer wanted to pout over her misfortunes or her situation. She was the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, the future Queen of the Silver Millennium. If she ever wanted to be a true lady, like her mother, she would have to stand tall in the face of uncertainty and difficulties. She felt her smile that was not her own and realized who had sent her this feeling, who had been listening in on her feelings and regarding her aura since the moment he set foot on the moon.

_Endymion, it isn't nice to spy._ She sent through their bond, being careful to block her thoughts from him. She hated when he did that, when he slipped through the cracks in her psyche and inspected her emotions. She was too nervous, too self-conscious, too worried, and too overjoyed. She was too much of everything right then to be able to deal with his prodding too. She then felt bad about blocking him out as she felt him poke at her subconscious. A smile slipped onto her face as she murmured to him quickly before once again cutting off communication, _I love you_.

She could practically feel him smirking. She cleared her throat, trying to radiate an inner calm as she put on her poker face, "If the Terrans want to be disagreeable, let them. It is there loss, not ours, no?" Wrong, it was her loss. It was _always_ her loss. "And Prince Endymion has to get his bad manners from somewhere."

"What is it the Earthlings say? The apple does not grow far from the tree?" Mina piped in, cheered by her Princess's improved mood. Ami closed her eyes tightly with a pained expression, Lita grinned, and Raye groaned. Mina blinked at them, tilting her head as she asked faintly, "What?"

Luna placed a hand on the small of Serenity's back, encouraging her forward with suddenly hasty steps as she declared, "Now let us go, so we can get this over with, alright Princess?" She looked over her shoulder at the other four girls, the Princesses of each of their respective planets, "Please, Guardian Scouts, do not let Prince Endymion have an opportunity to terrorize our little Princess." They nodded their heads dutifully, falling into step behind them.

Serenity was being ushered out the door, down the hallway, and towards the entrance hall before she had a chance to think. With terror she realized they actually planned on keeping her from him, making sure they did not come in contact with each other. But she could not have that, it would be impossible for her to sit across the room from him and not make some interaction. Maybe they should just change the game, maybe they should give up their charade as enemies and play friends? But no, that was too dangerous. There existed too much passion between them, their looks were too heated. They could never pass as anything less than fatal foes or impossible lovers. But, perhaps she could just act indifferent? Maybe it was more possible then she thought.

"Wait, Luna, girls! We do not have to snub them, I can be perfectly civil to their prince. I can!" She insisted in a squeak, looking hastily over her shoulder at her friends as Luna continued to urge her forwards down the marble halls of the Moon Palace.

"But what if you cannot, Serenity? It would be much easier for us to avoid him all together than to risk a scene if he happens to evoke your anger." Luna suggested calmly, smoothing black curls from her eyes to tidy her hair. Did they have so little faith in her? Serenity promptly stopped mid-stride, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at all of her nodding companions fiercely. Jupiter looked as if she did not agree, a dark scowl cast across her features as she stepped over towards her Princess – as if taking a side.

"Serenity, I advise the same." Ami replied softly, eyeing Lita's defensive stance.

"What? We are not going to tiptoe around them like we are AFRAID. What can they do to us? They are the ones seeking some sort of alliance, they are the ones that are suddenly clamoring at our feet for help now that their revolutionaries have set their sights on their kingdom too, not just ours!" Lita fumed from beside Serenity.

"I…I can be cordial. I can be polite to the prince." Serenity murmured, but they did not seem to hear her. She knew this was one of the times were she would be disregarded, she could already see her guardians pointed ignorance of her.

"But Serenity's reputation is on the line! She and the prince's arguments will make her look bad! Like some raving harpy who cannot control her temper!" Raye countered, voice edging a bit too loudly. Mina poked her in the side and put a finger on her lips, urging her to lower the volume of her voice. At the look all the women turned to the doors of the entrance hall, just down the hallway.

"HEY!" Serenity stomped her foot, trying to demand attention to her and her opinion. They could not make all her decision, they could not decide what she did and did not do! She had decided that three years prior, when she had broke away from the safety they provided and made the first real decision she had ever made. To love him, despite the costs. But they did not listen, they never listened. The court, the queen, and the empire of the Moon kingdom paid no mind to the ideas of their little goddess. Until she was queen she was a child, doomed to have her life ruled by others until she was capable of ruling herself. At least, they thought.

Ami once again spoke her opinion calmly, her tone lower as to not be heard by any party but their own, "I must agree with Raye and Luna. Serenity cannot risk her public image. We all know she cannot control her temper after he says his remarks to her. It is best if Serenity simply avoids him, at all costs, so as not to harm our diplomatic preceding or the public's view of our princess."

"Do I get no say in this?" Serenity muttered disdainfully, her annoyance distracting her from the nervous fit she had been in earlier.

"Shush, Serenity." Luna said, turning back to the three members of her guard, "Now I know it is hard, but we are not humbling ourselves by it. We all know we are above the Terrans silly games – Selene knows what they are playing at with their 'peace talks'—but it is in her best interest that we keep her and the prince from interacting." She turned to Serenity, "Now, you will of course have to follow decorum and greet the royal family and their guard at their arriving ceremony. Perhaps you may have to be in his presence at meetings. But otherwise we will keep you far away from him and make sure there are no slip ups where you may accidentally run into each other. You did a very good job being kind to him on their departure last time, surely you can do that again…"

"I can, but –"

"Good. Now it is time for us to make our entrance, Princesses." Luna placed her hand on the handle of the door, preparing to enter as she directed impassively, "First I will enter and alert Artemis of our arrival, then you will all be called. Wait for the signal, descend down the staircase; you know the procedures. Jupiter, you will be introduced first. Then Mercury, then Venus, then Mars. Serenity, when you are called your mother will meet you at the foot of the stairs. Please, do not trip like the last time."

With that she made a graceful, fluid entrance into the hall, disappearing behind the door briefly before the doors were pulled open again by two white-clad guards. Lita winked at them as they called out her title, disappearing from view as she turned a corner to descend down the marble steps. Serenity's nerves returned full force, her facial expression indistinguishably blank save for the quiver of her bottom lip. The ever observant Ami noticed, quickly grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze before she too left the hallway.

Mina stepped in front of her, leaning in as she whispering hastily, "Do not listen to what those bores have to say. As the leader of your personal guard and the Scout of Love, I explicitly give you permission to do as you please." She looked both ways, ignoring Raye's pointed stare, and whispered silkily in Serenity's ear, "How else would we make him fall in love with you if you are never around one another?"

Serenity feared for herself at those words, wondering if Mina's meddling would uncover something best left undisclosed. Mina's matchmaking terrors were legendary, her determination at influencing a match scary not just in accuracy but in methods. Now she was in trouble, now she and Endymion's secret was truly at risk. If Mina found out, despite her teasing, she would be one furious Scout. She hated secrets more than she loved fairytales, would never approve of a real clandestine romance. Not one as scandalous and as risky as theirs, at least. Despite being a Venusian and therefore a hopeless romantic, Mina had too much dutiful loyalty to go against the court of the Silver Alliance. The thought appeased Serenity as she realized Mina was not truly trying to set her up with him; she surely though it was too outrageously impossible and unacceptable. With one last grin over her shoulder, Mina was gone too.

Raye did not look at her as she stepped up to the door, hearing her title exclaimed by the announcer as she added one last comment, "Don't trip!"

Oh Selene.

And she was left alone in the hall for one silent moment, closing her eyes tightly and inhaling one shaky breath. She felt an anticipation that was not her own tugging at her heart strings which made her realize that Endymion was really there, waiting for her just on the other side of the open doors. And even if she could not run up to him and kiss him, embrace him, beam at him – he would still be there waiting.

Somehow that gave her the courage to open her eyes and step forward as she heard her full name get called. And in her mind, she added one last title to the end of the name she was given name at birth. His name, the one she had secretly taken. _Terra_.

. . .


	3. Chapter Two

. . .

The Beginning of the End: Chapter Two  
Published: May 2011

. . .

* * *

.

**Silver Millennium, Palace Gardens, The Moon  
**_**Flashback**_**: Three Years Prior**

.

_Serenity had always been a romantic, though she had never had a feel of its substance. Her father was a ghost, a murmur on her mother's lips, and although she knew great love had once rested there – she had never witnessed it. No courters dared approach her, they were both alarmed by her smiles and hesitant to take any more steps towards her. She was a princess, the heir of the most powerful woman in the universe, and many wanted her crown. And yet no suitors came. For a number of reasons, they stayed back. Some feared her mother, some heard tales of a prophecy involving the little princess. Others still were too petrified. They knew if they looked too close, if they allowed themselves into her world – they would never escape the daydream or the starling lilac depths of innocent eyes. She was adored by far, by many men too afraid to face her rejection or fate's wrath._

_What little she saw of romance when she was young was of ladies in ball gowns dancing with finely dressed men, with secretive smiles on painted lips and bated breaths at every flutter of a silk skirt. Dancing always fascinated her, the grace she did not believe she had always drew her in. She would sit dutifully beside her guardians and observe their moves with scientific interest, her eyes set on the most skillful dancers, and she would memorize their every step. Serenity would copy these moves in her mirror at night, after her mother had tucked her in and Luna had kissed her goodnight, and would spin pirouettes until she could perfectly copy every step to the waltzes she had never been allowed to dance._

_She wanted to be graceful, to be a beautiful dancer, and at the age of eleven she was finally allowed to dance stiff, formal dances with Artemis or some pale-haired relative. She didn't like those dances, she didn't enjoy the passionless steps and rigid posture. She wanted to dance like the ladies, to dance with flowing arms and with laughter singing from her chest. So she sat once again beside Luna, bored with the balls and with the moves she already knew by heart. Her attention was only grabbed when her mother danced, usually with some Queen or King of another planet._

_Her mother mystified her more than all others, her grace and eloquence surpassing any other mortal being. She had wanted her mother's beauty, her poise, her incontestable charm and indefatigable wisdom. Every movement of her hand was mesmerizing, every twirl and step was soft and enticing. Her voice was unforgettable, a sort of soothing melody that played in your head long after she had spoke the words. She was wise, her eyes alone told you so, and her every word held vast meaning. She had no temper, no hate, no prejudices. And her beauty, of course, was notable. She had the curves a Venusian, the agile height of a goddess of Jupiter, and the exotic beauty usually attributed to the outer planets. She was a vision of white, like a crystal personified, and something about her commanded respect. Queen Serenity was what a true queen looked like and, most importantly, her soul was of the purest quality. Long before their princess had captured the people's hearts, her mother had._

_Perhaps, when she was young, she had also seen that childish romance between boys and girls. Mina and Lita always had a hand to hold, their frocks were always filled with the petals of weed flowers, picked by the blushing boys of court. But even as a child the males had stayed away from their princess. Something inexplicable told them she was unattainable, something in them told them that their blossoms were not right for her. They felt uneasy around her floating laughter and lithe dances. She was always too separated from them, always seeming far younger or far older, something too pure to be tainted by their sticky child's hands. She was in a different world, a world made up of magic and fairytales and powerful women, and there was no place for boys in such a world. And so Serenity had watched silently as Mina shared her favorite toy with a duke's son or while some white-haired child of the moon tugged on Lita's ponytail. Ami often stood beside her, immersed in a book and unaware of children's playful teasing. Raye frightened the boys away and drew them in at the same time, her harsh temper sending them running while the shine of her ebony locks always, always brought them back._

_Sometimes Serenity would hear the maids giggling, whispering of great tales of love with stable boys or, sometimes, married ambassadors. She and Mina would press their ears against the door and listen, holding their breath as the women inside told of things that fascinated and terrified them. The tales of bold declarations and passionate kisses had some lasting effect on her, it made her eyes get glassy in lessons and drew her mind from astrology or history._

_She and Mina had learned to flirt when they turned thirteen. Serenity had felt the first butterflies in her stomach at the sight of Mina's cousin Adonis or the dignitaries of Pluto, eternally youthful and exotically handsome, but her interest always waned. There were always men for her and her friends to ogle and giggle over, but to Serenity the idea of acting upon those silly impulses and whims was absurd. They were crushes, an amusement to dream about, but they meant nothing. The guards she and Mina winked and waved at, they were nothing._

_That was all she knew of romance._

_The only man Serenity had ever had a real conversation with was Artemis. She had shared pleasantries with many dignitaries, useless greetings that ended any chance of conversation with their formalities. Never more than a greeting and a goodbye were shared between her and a man, even the handsome gentleman she batted her eyes at. But Artemis she knew. He taught her much, skillfully teaching her archery and humoring her every fancy. He was kind, as much as a father to her as Luna was a second mother, and it was he who she turned to when she was afraid. She loved him dearly for all the times he had comforted her, for reading her books when she was little, and for making her laugh. He had always been a friend to her, her protector and ally._

_And he was all she really knew of men at that time. The rest she only observed, seeing the qualities of the diplomats at court but never paying them mind. Her crushes were never nursed to the point where she hoped for a confession of love, or even imagined one. She could have had any man she wanted if she would only say the word and stake a claim on one, but she had never wished to do more than giggle about those handsome men with Mina. She did not think about ideals, what her knight in shining armor would look like or what noble qualities he would posses._

_But she recognized him immediately when she saw him. It was him. That was him._

_Her first glimpse of him was under star-filled skies, when she had disentangled herself from Lita's arms and had carefully shifted her legs out from under Raye's head. She couldn't sleep, her mind was filled with thoughts of the night and of orchestral songs, and she had snuck out from her room to dance in the privacy of the palace gardens. Her gardens, the lush Eden occupied by wisps of wisteria and lily-vines and pastel moonflowers._

_She had pulled on a cape of baby blue, not bothering to pull the hood over her head as she tip-toed down the marble halls into the summer night. She felt calm, safe, no demons would dare jump out at her from the shadows behind statues or pillars. This was her kingdom, her home, and she had never known what it was like to fear the sight of darkness. And so she had went out into the night, danced among the many dew-dropped flower buds, and fallen under the cover of a fruit tree. She knew Luna would find her in the morning, her eyelashes dotted with dew and her hair woven with closed blossoms. She would scold her, call her careless, and warn her of dangers she couldn't comprehend. Perhaps the next day Luna wouldn't let her meet the Terran dignitaries and their Prince, the Earthlings who had arrived that night after she had already slid into her nightgown. But she didn't mind, really, politics held no interest for her._

_And so the young Moon Princess had drifted into a peaceful sleep under the fragrance of the fruit tree, her fingers and lips dyed red by the juices of the tree's produce and her blue hood draped over her eyes._

_When she awoke to the sound of boots on soft earth, she found the scene of her haven had changed. The night was darker, the wind had picked up, and a distance away from her stood a tall figure. Was it Artemis, out to look for her? He didn't see her, she noticed, and she needed to call out to him. She hurriedly sat up, knocking the hood away with her palm as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her eyes then focused on the man, who was half turned to her and half turned away, and she realized just as she was about to call out to him that he was not Artemis._

_He was something else entirely._

_He was young, but years older than her, already a man. His features were sharp, dignified, and angular. They were foreign, unlike the noses and facial shapes of any land she knew. His skin was tan, darker than she had seen on most in the Moon Kingdom, and she had at first thought he was the son of some Plutonian dignitary because of it. His hair was black as night, locks of it swept in front of his eyes from the slight gust in the night air, and he seemed to be quite tall. The slope of his nose, the curve of his jaw, the shade of his lips – they burned into her mind. She could only think that he was handsome, so very handsome, and she wished for nothing more than to see the color of his eyes. Were they green? Red? Perhaps they were dark, like his cape, or gold like the lining of his armor._

_Her sleepy mind repeated that he was so handsome, so very, very handsome._

_She watched him as his steps faltered a short distance away from her, still not noticing the girl hidden behind the heavy branches laden with red fruit. His eyes – oh how she wished to see their color! – turned up to the brilliant mix of emerald and sapphire in the sky above them, the Earth Serenity had so often admired from her palace window. His brows furrowed in an odd expression. Serenity stepped forward from the dark shadows of the trees without thought, like a moth to a flame, entranced by this god in her garden._

_And then he had turned, sharply, and had caught sight of her. A startled expression took shape on his features._

_His eyes were blue._

_Endymion had never laid eyes on a creature quite so beautiful. Her face was soft, her features kind and delicate. Her hair was pale, a silvery white with the softest highlights of spun gold, and held up by strange buns at both sides of her head which fell down in waving tresses almost to her knees. Her lips looked to be painted with red and blossoms clung to her skin, hair, and cape. Her skin seemed to give off a soft glow and the golden crescent emblem on her forehead looked like a golden jewel. She gave off an image of perfect purity, of untouchable goodness. She shined, he swore, like a bright star or a holy deity._

_She was a goddess, some moonlight nymph. Something in his soul tugged him towards her and as he took a tentative step closer to the angelic beauty, her face became more detailed in the soft darkness fallen over them. He couldn't look away from the vision, couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mirage in his sleepless head. And the lady's eyes were what threw him into a state of delirium. They were framed by pale lashed, wide and innocent, and the color of indigo that he had only ever seen in flowers._

_It was his new favorite color._

_The depth of her eyes surprised him and the look resting in those lilac amethysts shook him to his very core. The pale goddess looked down tentatively, a pink flush adorning the apples of her cheeks, her eyes still locked on his through her eyelashes as he stared at her with that same expression of awed shock._

_Immediately the wind was knocked out of him, his heart leaping into a drumming beat. Endymion knew he had just been drawn into something inescapable. He could feel the heavy weight of the moment, the finality of the ticking seconds where that lovely dream's endless eyes were on his. Something in him shifted, changed, and he knew with certainty that nothing, nothing at all, could ever be the same. His sharp mind could not process what she was, did not comprehend that the golden emblem on that goddesses forehead marked her as an enemy, that it was the same odd symbol he had seen on the Queen of the Moon's head hours before when his party arrived on this planet. He could not make the connection yet, no, he was too entranced by his shifted world._

_She took a small step forward towards him, trying to find her voice. She was overwhelmed by this man, aware of his every move, and dying for something, anything, to happen. Their eyes stayed focused on each other, their mouths barely parted as the gaped at the temptation lay out in front of them. The feelings in their chest were foreign, their heart strings had never been tugged before and now they were yanked with full force, shooting shots of excited warmth through their bodies. They had never seen such beauty in another person, never felt the desire to touch, to kiss, to love._

_The beat in Serenity's heart was an odd sort of flutter. Some palpitation she did and did not understand. Her breath was drawn out from her, sucked out of every molecule of her body. She felt tiny and frail and breakable._

_The strangest thing was, it was the most marvelous emotion she had ever had a taste of. Her heart whispered to a feeble brain in quiet certainty, 'I love this creature'. She knew it was true, she knew her heart well enough to comprehend the startling truth. She had heard stories of soul mates, of love at first sight. Did she believe in it before? She could not remember. But she knew now, she knew so very well now what that type of strong attraction was. Something past lust, something in her that craved his very soul._

_Love, though. They both knew it was that. An unexplainable, undeniable attraction that made it impossible for them to think or speak or breathe. The warmth, the drumming of not only their hearts, but their souls; all telltale signs of that curious affliction they had never before experienced themselves. They saw something in each other, saw right through each other, and peered into the depths of their hearts._

_Love. It was love. Illogical and unexplainable. But love._

_Endymion opened his mouth to speak, to say anything to get this illusion to stay, but was quieted as the pale beauty spoke aloud, her voice a soft tidal melody;_

_"Hello. I am Serenity."_

_He would never forget that name._

. . .

* * *

.

**Silver Millennium, Palace of the Moon Kingdom, The Moon  
Present Day: Approximately Three Years After Flashback**

**.**

He had forgotten how his heart leapt when she entered a room. How his muscles tensed and his heart raced. How odd it felt to be in front of her and to try his hardest to pretend to hate her, because he feared someone would discover how much he loved her. And how sinfully beautiful she was. And how lovely she looked in a ball gown and how graceful she was and how tiny her little frame was and how bright her eyes were. He had forgotten it all.

Perhaps he hadn't forgotten, he reminded himself, he had just been unable to fully remember how truly extraordinary she was. He had never forgotten her, no. He had spent every day recalling her every detail, painting a picture of her as he had last seen her in his mind's eye. Creamy white skin, light waves of endless hair, lilac irises, fabric slipping off her shoulders, pale form glowing under the illumination of the moon. It seemed impossible to fully commit to memory all those little details about her, though he could remember her every curve, the exact shape of her smile, the sound of her laughter. But a memory was nothing compared to the reality of her, nothing.

Behind him stood his closest companions, the four men whom he had been in constant company with since childhood. Without turning around he knew what they would look like. To the court of the moon they probably looked just the same as any other men in the room. They wouldn't notice Zoisite's analytical, judging stare as he inspected the people. They wouldn't see Nephrite's or Jadeite's inattention to the formalities. Certainly, they wouldn't notice the calculating concern in Kunzite's eyes as he mulled over the consequences of his king's actions earlier on in the day. They would only see Prince Endymion's four generals and whisper endlessly about how the Earth's king had so rudely brushed past their beloved queen.

King Odysseus was a rather unpleasant man, prone to giving into glutinous whims rather than dealing with urgent matters at hand. He cared not for political affairs and did not bother himself with considering the thoughts of others. He was highly intelligent, but his blatant hedonism made his judgment lack. He liked women, wine, and shutting himself up in his room for long periods of time. As a king, he did nothing, and almost the entire political running of his country had been the responsibility of Endymion for the past ten or so years. Despite his faults, he was in fact fond of his son. He was indulgent to his friends, cruel to his enemies, and his favor was easily gained or lost. He was highly manipulative and cunningly deceitful.

He hadn't always been so. Of course, he had never been a truly great leader, but in his earlier days of ruling he had been a good enough king to his people. But Endymion had never known him as such, his father had gotten worse and worse since he was a child. They said he had stopped caring when Endymion's mother, the queen, died in childbirth; though Endymion did not know whether or not it was true. He only knew his father as a careless man who did only what he pleased, when he so chose. The king had not even been supposed to come to the moon, but at the last minute, literally, he had declared he would accompany his son on the diplomatic mission. Endymion, of course, knew that his father's appearance would only jeopardize his chances at gaining Queen Serenity's favor and support, but he could do nothing to stop him. The king had absolute power when he actually chose to do something.

But the Terrans were much accustomed to their King's bad manners and rapidly worsening attitude.

Upon arrival the king had made a bad impression, as his son had expected. Ignoring the customary greetings, he had brushed off Queen Serenity's good wishes and promptly departed on a bad note to the royal suites of the Terran kingdom, his mistress trailing after him. Endymion had winced, trying to sooth the situation as he greeted Serenity with the most cordial, pleasant greeting he could make. He had been surprised by Queen Serenity's likeness to her daughter, he hadn't remembered just how similar the two were. His princess was like a petite version of her mother; she was considerably shorter, but her features almost identical save for the mystifying color of her eyes and the hint of gold in her flaxen hair.

Things had gone rather well after that. After he had exchanged pleasantries to the queen upon arrival, they had made their way to the great hall were the formal greetings would occur. Where he would see Serenity, surely.

He only hoped to god his father would not choose an inopportune moment to trample into the hall and further embarrass the Terran royals.

His attention was drawn to the staircase in front of him as he caught sight of the tall brunette he recognized as Lady Jupiter, followed soon by the elegant Lady Mercury. He felt his heart race in excitement. These were Serenity's guardians, her four closest friends, the women who shared her every breath. He knew much about them and he watched with interest as Lady Venus descend down the stairs, her eyes carefully scanning the ballroom for what he could only assume was a examination of potential dangers to her princess. He knew her to be the head of Serenity's guard, and from what he had heard from Serenity he gathered her to be a skilled fighter with a sword and from the natural born abilities given to her by her home star, as well as fiercely loyal to the princess she was sworn to protect. He also knew of her other side, how she was a shameless flirt and that she had a bright cheerfulness and mischievousness that mirrored Serenity's. However, that side was not shown as her title was called, the only reminiscent trait of the cheerful, flirtatious woman Serenity swore she was being the soft smile on her richly painted lips.

_Of course_, he remembered, _Serenity is supposed to despise me, as far as they know_. He had forgotten he would be known to these powerful women, Serenity's very sisters, as an enemy rather than a friend. He would be treated as a tormentor of their precious princess, the man who had restlessly teased and fought with Serenity three years ago.

But if that was so, why did Lady Venus's mouth quirk up into a mysterious smirk as her calculating gaze landed on him?

Following her was Lady Mars, who met the other three women at the foot of the stairs, off to the right. The Queen in front of them. His own party was opposite theirs and the formality of this supposedly 'welcoming' ceremony only increased his apprehension. Queen Serenity made him peculiarly uneasy and the look in her silver gaze made him feel like she could see past his façade, could detect the love harbored and hidden in his soul. After all, how could such a powerful women, a descendent of a goddess and holder of the most powerful crystal in the universe, not see something like as basic as a soul bond? How did she not know, how did she not see how desperately he loved her daughter? How did she not detect how anxiously he awaited Serenity's descent down that staircase?

Yes, Queen Serenity made him very, very uneasy.

And then his breathe caught as he heard that same voice, which had announced the arrival of the four inner princesses, speak aloud his princess's title. His universe went quiet, his eyes were trained solely on those open doors she would surely emerge from. He hadn't seen her in what felt like ages. And the moment he caught sight of her, gracefully sweeping down the stairs with an unreadable expression on her delicate features, it took all of his strength to keep his feet planted, his face blank, and his hands from trembling.

She was so beautiful, he loved her so much. And he had no other thoughts, only emotions. He ached to greet her, to beam at her and embrace her. He longed to stake his claim in front of the whole court, longed for her mother to accept him as a son-in-law and his generals to accept her as his princess. The desire to reveal the truth, to confess, had never been so fervent in him. It took every ounce of his strength to keep him from giving up their ruse, right then and there, and ignoring protocol to sweep her into his arms.

And Serenity was just as overwrought.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest and the butterflies in her stomach seemed to have escaped confinement, wreaking havoc on her entire body as her nerves tingled. She could feel his presence, so strongly and so close, but she couldn't deign a glance his way in fear of something she couldn't quite place. But, oh how badly she wanted to meet his eyes. She could already feel his own eyes upon her, never mind the hundreds of other sets of eyes set on the Moon Princess descending down the staircase, and the thought made the faintest of blushes warm her cheeks.

Serenity's stare finally rose from the hem of her gown as she stepped onto the marble floor of the great hall, briefly glancing at her spirit sisters from the corner of her eyes as she approached her mother. She prayed silently to Selene to give her the strength to do this, to not trip, and to keep her emotions at bay as she stepped beside her mother. The court lightly clapped, as was customary, as she took her place beside her mother and avoided making eye contact with the head of the Terran party.

Queen Serenity watched her daughter carefully, eyes inspecting the oddly nervous demeanor of her only daughter. A smile found its way onto her lips as the queen placed a feather light hand on the small of her daughter's back. The girl looked up at her, surprising her mother with the intensity of the emotions behind them, but the emotion did not transfer onto her composed facial features. The princess smiled a small smile at her mother, calmed by her touch and the comforting warmth her presence sinking into her. For a moment, she forgot that Endymion was in front of her, she forgot the whole court's eyes were on her, and she forgot that she was hiding something so important from the women she loved the most. All that was there was her mother, who made her calm and who she loved so adamantly.

The part of her that was still naïve, still a child, and still innocent soothed her mind, because, it told her, as long as her mother was there things would be in control. Her mother demanded peace, tranquility, and order. Nothing could go drastically wrong, not ever, so long as her mother was there to fix it. Princess Serenity adored her, idolized her, and loved her unconditionally. Unlike the tension that existed between herself and everyone else, she could truthfully say she had never had a single negative thought about her mother. She was an angel, her salvation, her everything. Not once had she gotten angry at her mother and even the deep-rooted desire of hers to be just like her mother did not translate into jealousy. The two did not fight or argue like the princess and Luna. Serenity was obedient, kind, and docile to her mother. Always. Her every action had been to please her mother, to make her proud. That is, all but one.

Sometimes, she loved her mother so much that she forgot about how fervently she loved Endymion. She forgot that she would have shattered her mother's faith and trust without the queen even knowing it, that her selfishness made her unworthy of that goddess' name. Her mother was her universe until he came along and she had never, ever thought it was possible to love someone more.

As a child, all Serenity ever wanted was to be like her mother. It was her dream, to someday equal her mother in beauty, grace, intelligence, and kindness. Never surpass, no, that was simply impossible. But she wanted only to equal her, to be worthy of her, to prove she was her daughter. It seemed like a perfect dream and it ruled Serenity's every action for the first fourteen years of her life, encouraging her to always behave her very best so she could grow up to be a true lady like her mother. Although her mind wandered in her lessons, although she sometimes disobeyed Luna, although she was often lazy and silly; she was the epitome of a true princess.

But when she had met Endymion, her dream had changed. Her mother no longer was the sole controller of her universe and Queen Serenity was no longer quite her daughter's definition of perfection. Endymion had spoiled her dream, because she loved him too much to hold onto her old one. Serenity learned she would never be like her mother; she was too selfish, too impulsive, she did not know how to sacrifice. She loved Endymion too much, too selfishly, more than she loved anything else. For his life, she would give up her very kingdom. Her mother was a better person than her, her mother would not have defied the laws of the world as she had. She was a treasonist, a sinner, no better than an adulteress, and not only an awful daughter, but a liar as well.

Because she loved Endymion with her whole soul, she would be forever imperfect. That realization had almost ended it all, her devotion to her mother and desire to be worthy of her name was almost enough to make her turn her back on the one thing that had made her feel truly, truly alive. But she could never leave Endymion. After all, hadn't her mother always taught her that she should obey her heart above all else? And her heart always, always beat for him. Even if her mother did occupy a large part of her heart, even if she was filled up with love for the people who had raised her, her heart belonged strictly to the Prince of Earth.

He had changed everything.

She had never felt caged, or sheltered, or naïve until she met him. Now she saw how her life was not under her control, saw how she made no real decisions and kept no secrets. She'd never noticed it, not until she had been forced to hide him from her life. She was the sole heir to the most powerful reign, the most glorious alliance in the universe. She was the daughter of a goddess, the only hope of a kingdom, and the future ruler of almost all planets in the solar system. She was destined to rule, to have power, to make decisions. But what had she ever been in control of? She had not been allowed to choose her own clothes or books or activities until she was fifteen. Even then, her every move was planned by someone else. She was a pawn, a slave to the schedule she was given. Her guardians, Luna, the court – they all had power over her. And she began to resent them for it, resent them for the fact that she had been robbed of her independence and now was so, so, so utterly dependent on the advice and approval of others. She resented ever thing she was told to do.

Her mother was a tangent. She never resented her mother's rules, though her mother did not prevent her from much, and she never held her mother's advice against her. She never felt like a prisoner to her mother, but always to the castle. Her mother was the only one who asked her opinion, who had the wisdom to know her daughter needed some semblance of control so that she didn't go mad. She knew her mother understood her, she understood her all too well, because she'd been a suppressed princess too. Her mother would say all the right words, her every action was perfect. She knew everything. She understood. She made her feel so, so special.

It broke her heart most of all, more than anything else, that she kept her love of Endymion from her mother. And it hurt to know that her all knowing mother, who knew her so well, had no idea what she was hiding. In a way, part of her wanted her to find out. She wanted her to know. But more than that, she wanted her mother to love her. And how could she love her when she found out how truly selfish she was? How she had gone against her and betrayed her and done something completely prohibited? She would have no confidence in her, would be ashamed of her, would not speak to her, would not look at her.

That was the reason. The real reason. The reason that she had not told, could not tell, would not. In the end, that was the sole reason. Serenity was terrified of losing her mother's love. And that fear made her into an excellent liar, a perfect escape artist, an unseen criminal.

Endymion knew known of this.

The Prince of Earth only saw Serenity, he could not understand the depth of devotion Serenity had for her mother, though he could sense the calm that seeped into Serenity when her mother smiled at her. He swallowed, trying to remain inconspicuous and at ease to the generals behind him and the queen before him.

Queen Serenity motioned for her daughter to step forward, to present herself to the Earthen prince. As the princess of the moon, it was her duty to formally greet the royals, since her mother had greeted them upon their arrival. The princess gathered her breathe as she stepped forward, her eyes forced to the man in front of her. However, she could not quite bring herself to meet his eyes yet, instead focusing on the dark fabric and silver armor clothing his chest before she dipped into a graceful curtsy.

And then her eyes met his as her skirt swept back to place, her hands clasping in front of her and her back straightening out of the curtsey. Lilac met navy. She fought a blush at the look her was giving her, the corners of her mouth turning down in contrast to the dazzling beam that threatened to spill across her face. She lifted her chin, eyes now firmly locked with that familiar dancing blue.

_Endymion._ He heard her whisper to him silently, the gold and silver soul bound between them resolutely tugging at them. They both held their breath, hoping that the love they saw in each other's eyes was not as obvious to everyone else as it was to them.

"Welcome, Prince Endymion." Princess Serenity greeted cordially, her tone betraying nothing but royal courtesy. Only he noticed the gentle lull in her speech, the way her voice was softer. He inhaled a quiet breath, his heart quivering as he dropped into a bow. She continued with a gracious smile, repeating the lines she knew she was supposed to say, "I am pleased you have arrived safely. I truly hope during your time here our courts can come to a mutually satisfying arrangement in which both our kingdoms will benefit."

He fought the urge to laugh, taking a step forward to take her hand. Unable to resist himself, he did the only thing he could imagine getting away with under customary terms. He bowed his head to press the tenderest of kisses to her left ring finger, making sure not to let his lips linger there for too long. It was over too quickly and to the eyes of the carefully watching court it seemed a strict, albeit surprising, show of respect and good manners rather than the show of love it was meant to be. They both felt the tingling remnants of electricity on their skin as they stepped back from one another. Endymion reluctantly turned to Queen Serenity, "It is an honor to be received here at the court of the Silver Millennium, your highness. I share your daughter's hope that we can come to an arrangement that will please both our kingdoms."

"We are happy to receive the court of the Earth kingdom, Prince Endymion, under such peaceful terms." The queen returned simply, some unreadable smile on her lips, and then continued in a tone that hinted at good-natured amusement rather than spite, "Tonight there shall be a ball held in celebration of the full moon, and I would be pleased if you, as well as your party, could attend. The same invitation goes to King Odysseus, of course, if he feels fit to attend."

"I appreciate your kindness, Queen Serenity, and although I cannot speak for my father, you will be sure to see me in attendance."

"Very well. I shall have my daughter see you to your suites." The princess looked surprised by her mother's suggestion, but the look disappeared as she nodded in compliance and cast her eyes at the floor. Queen Serenity nodded at Endymion and the four men behind him as Luna and Artemis appeared at her side, pleasantly smiling as she bid farewell, "Good day, Prince Endymion, Generals."

**. . .**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sorry that it's been so long! I've been having a hard time starting this story out, but hopefully things will go a bit faster now that I've got the first part out of the way. I've got a lot planned for this story and I'm excited to really start on the plot. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send them, and reviews (of course!) would be appreciated greatly.**

**. . .**


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